Despite the sleepy image their name might suggest, The Pillows have been relentlessly rocking for over 20 years, and handling many of the details of their careers themselves. The group formed in 1989, with Sawao Yamanaka on guitar and vocals, Shinichiro Sato on drums, Yoshiakai Manabe on guitar, and Kenji Ueda on bass. The Sato and Ueda rhythm team had previously played together in the popular rock band Kenzi & the Trips. After leaving that band, they drafted Yamanaka, who brought strong songwriting skills in addition to a powerful voice, and lead guitarist Manabe from the visual-kei leaning group Persia. At the start, they called themselves the Coinlocker Babies, recording a five song demo under that name. The band played over 70 shows a year, developing a tight but passionate brand of alternative rock. Their hook-filled, guitar driven sound, matched with Yamanak's spirited singing, has recieved a wide range of comparisons including the Jam, Oasis, REM and Weezer. After nearly three years of playing clubs, The Pillows signed to the indie Captain Records where they re-recorded their demo songs and released an EP under the name The Pillows. In 1991 the band moved up to the larger Pony Canyon Records, where they made their first full album Moon Gold.
Official Site (Japanese)
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